Traders Buy Large Volume of Call Options on PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM)

PulteGroup, Inc. (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) was the target of some unusual options trading activity on Wednesday. Traders acquired 9,941 call options on the company. This is an increase of approximately 1,498% compared to the average daily volume of 622 call options.

PulteGroup Stock Down 0.1 %

NYSE PHM traded down $0.10 during trading hours on Thursday, hitting $110.65. The company had a trading volume of 1,258,988 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,846,253. The firm's 50 day moving average is $128.37 and its 200 day moving average is $127.09. The company has a market capitalization of $22.69 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.16, a P/E/G ratio of 0.48 and a beta of 1.62. PulteGroup has a fifty-two week low of $99.03 and a fifty-two week high of $149.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14, a current ratio of 0.73 and a quick ratio of 0.73.

PulteGroup (NYSE:PHM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, October 22nd. The construction company reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.10 by $0.25. PulteGroup had a return on equity of 25.30% and a net margin of 16.64%. The business had revenue of $4.48 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.27 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $2.90 EPS. The company's revenue was up 11.8% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that PulteGroup will post 12.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

PulteGroup Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, January 3rd. Investors of record on Tuesday, December 17th will be issued a dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a $0.88 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.80%. This is a positive change from PulteGroup's previous quarterly dividend of $0.20. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, December 17th. PulteGroup's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 6.49%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On PulteGroup

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in PHM. WR Wealth Planners LLC increased its position in shares of PulteGroup by 54.7% during the second quarter. WR Wealth Planners LLC now owns 232 shares of the construction company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 82 shares during the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in PulteGroup by 115.1% during the 3rd quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 185 shares of the construction company's stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 99 shares during the last quarter. Transcendent Capital Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of PulteGroup in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Rothschild Investment LLC purchased a new position in shares of PulteGroup during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. Finally, Candriam S.C.A. acquired a new stake in shares of PulteGroup during the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages have weighed in on PHM. Bank of America boosted their price target on PulteGroup from $138.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, September 19th. StockNews.com downgraded PulteGroup from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Wedbush restated a "neutral" rating and issued a $115.00 price target on shares of PulteGroup in a report on Tuesday, October 22nd. Wells Fargo & Company cut their price objective on shares of PulteGroup from $165.00 to $140.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, December 17th. Finally, BTIG Research boosted their target price on shares of PulteGroup from $139.00 to $156.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, October 23rd. Eight equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and nine have assigned a buy rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $142.71.

PulteGroup Company Profile

PulteGroup, Inc, through its subsidiaries, primarily engages in the homebuilding business in the United States. It acquires and develops land primarily for residential purposes; and constructs housing on such land. The company also offers various home designs, including single-family detached, townhomes, condominiums, and duplexes under the Centex, Pulte Homes, Del Webb, DiVosta Homes, John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods, and American West brand names.